Runaway Bride  With Rose!
by Reader4077
Summary: This is the start of me redoing all of season 3. With Rose! Also a sequel to "Hitting A Wall"
1. Chapter 1

_A/N_

_So this is the very first chapter of Season 3 ~ with Rose! I hope you enjoy, and reviews are greatly appreciated and the way to get me to update faster! :D_

Donna Noble took a deep breath as she took her father arm in preparation to walk down the aisle. It was her wedding day and Donna was a bunch of nerves.

"Sorry." Her father apologized as she grabbed his arm, instead of him taking hers, and they had to switch it. Donna smiled at him, then the music started playing and everyone stood. Her mother, Sylvia Noble, was crying as well as some other friends and family, but Donna noticed some looks of jealousy such as the one coming from her friend-sometimes-enemy, Nerys. But that didn't matter now. All that mattered was Lance standing down at the altar, prepared to say 'I do.' But then it happened. Donna was halfway down the aisle when she started to feel … strange. She looked down at her hands which were glowing gold. Donna stopped, screamed then completely disappeared in a golden light that shot towards the roof of the chapel and disappeared.

XxXxX

"So…Where are we going next?" Rose asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I never did take you to Barcelona…" The Doctor started to say then stopped. "What?" He said incredulously, gaping over Rose's shoulder. Standing there on the other side of the console room by the door of the TARDIS was a woman in a wedding dress with fiery red hair.

"O!" She squeaked in surprise.

"What?" was all The Doctor seemed to be able to say.

"Who are you?" The Doctor demanded to know of The Doctor and Rose who were just staring at her.

"What?" Rose broke in, equally confused.

"Where I am?" The bride demanded to know.

"What?" The Doctor said again, his mind had seemed to come to a full stop.

"Where the Hell is this place?" The woman was practically screaming now.

"What?" The Doctor said again, then shook his head. "You can't do that … I wasn't…" He stammered, his assurance and normal never ceasing babble of never-ceasing words dried up. "We're in flight! That is physically impossible!" He protested "How did…" The Doctor trailed off, then ran to the controls and started fiddling with them.

"What is it Doctor?" Rose asked. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" He told her, running his hands through his hair. "This is impossible!"

"Tell me where I am!" The woman yelled at them. "I demand you tell me right now! Where I am!"

"Inside the TARDIS." The Doctor told her distractedly.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS." The Doctor said again.

"The what?"She asked again, still not understanding.

"The TARDIS." Rose said, trying to calm down. "It's called a TARDIS."

"That's not even a proper word!" The woman said, not believing. "You're just saying things!"

"How did you get in here?" Rose asked, still trying to get her to calm down.

"Well obviously when you kidnapped me!" she said accusingly. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys?" She demanded to know. "Oh my god, she's finally gotten me back! This has gotten Nerys written all over it!"

"Who the Hell is Nerys?" The Doctor asked, sticking his head around the console.

"You're best friend!"

"Hold on, wait a minute." The Doctor said, looking at her. "What're you dressed like that for?" Even Rose rolled her eyes at that question. Sometimes The Doctor could be really thick!

"I'm going ten pin bowling! What do you think Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!" She screamed at them. Rose winced and The Doctor went back to the fiddling with the controls. "I've been waiting all my life for this! I was just seconds away!" The woman continued to rant.

"She really has a mouth on her." Rose thought to herself as she went to help The Doctor. "Almost matches The Doctor's."

"And then you… I dunno, you drugged me or something!"

"I haven't done anything!" The Doctor protested.

"We're having the police on you! Me and my husband!" She yelled, then seemed to stop and reconsider for a moment. "As soon as he _is_ my husband. We're gonna sue the living backside off ya!" Then the bride noticed the door and rushed over to it.

"No, wait a minute!" The Doctor called. "Wait a minute. Don't-!" But it was too late. She had already thrown open the TARDIS door and was standing there, gaping at the Super Nova with her mouth open. The Doctor came to sand beside her.

"You're in space." He told her. "Outer space." She just looked at him, "This is my … spaceship."

"How am I breathing?" she asked.

"The TARDIS is protecting us." The Doctor explained, and the bride looked over at him.

"Who are you?" She asked, finally calming down a bit.

"I'm The Doctor, and this is Rose." The Doctor said gently. "You?"

"Donna." She said, and The Doctor looked her up and down.

"Human?" he asked.

"Yeah…" She said, then seemed to consider what he'd said. "Is that optional?"

"Well, it is for him." Rose said. Donna looked over at him.

"You're an alien." It was a question.

"Yeah." The Doctor told her gently. There was a moment of silence as Donna took this in.

"It's freezing with these doors open." She finally said, and The Doctor pulled the doors shut then darted back to the controls.

"But I don't understand it, and I understanding everything!" The Doctor seemed to be almost pouting, like a child. "This…this can't happen! There is no way a Human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be…"

"What Doctor?" Rose asked as The Doctor pulled an ophthalmoscope from one of his endless pockets and looking into Donna's eyes. Donna was struck silent and was very confused. "Doctor?" Rose asked again, but The Doctor shook his head.

"Impossible." He said, shaking his head. "Some sort of subatomic connection?"

"Something in the temporal field?" Rose suggested.

"Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon field shell?" The Doctor agreed. "Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic…" Here Donna slapped him across the cheek. Hard.

"What was that for?" The Doctor asked, rubbing his cheek. Behind him, Rose giggle. He shot her a glare, and she hid her smile behind her hands, but he couldn't help but notice her shoulders shaking as she laughed at him.

"Get me.." Donna yelled at him, "TO THE CHRUCH!"

"Right!" The Doctor said, turning back to the controls. "Sorry! Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, Earth, the Solar System!" As The Doctor input the coordinates, darting around the console in his usual maniac manner, Donna seemed to finally actually notice Rose. Snatching up the jacket that Rose had draped across the railing. It was the one she had worn on New Earth. "What about this? What about her?" She demanded to know. "I knew it! Acting all innocent! I'm not the first woman have you abducted?" Donna screamed at him. The Doctor rolled his eyes, and shut a pleading look at Rose as he ran around, flying the TARDIS. Rose bit back the giggles that were rising again, then went over to The Doctor to defend his honor.

"The Doctor didn't abduct me." She told Donna, and she looked Rose up and down appraisingly, not quite believing her. "I'm traveling with him of my own free will." Rise smiled then with a glance over at The Doctor, said loud enough for him to hear her. "Of course it helped that he _blew up my job_!"

"Oi!" Came the indignant cry. "Who was it that saved you from the Autons in that basement?"

"And who had to be saved from the Nestene Consciousness by a stupid ape?" Rose called back, giggling. The Doctor poked his head around the console and stuck his tongue out at her. Rose grinned innocently at him, then turned back to Donna. "Anyways, The Doctor didn't kidnap me. He shows me the whole of the Universe. And it's wonderful."

"But what about your family?" Donna asked, and Rose's face fell.

"I lost them."She finally said. "I'm never going to see them again." There was silence in the TARDIS for a moment, then there was a huge jolt as the TARDIS landed. Both Donna and Rose grabbed onto the nearby railing to keep from falling over.

"Right! Chiswick!" The Doctor called, his head popping up from where he had fallen. Donna was looking angry again, but Rose couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Doctor…" She said between gasps for air, she was laughing so hard. "You _really_ have to work on your driving!"


	2. Chapter 2

Donna Noble ran out of the TARDIS, The Doctor and Rose still inside, her laughing at him and he insultedly informing her that if he was doing such a terrible job, she could drive! But there was one problem. The Doctor had managed to get the right time, and the right planet even, but it was the wrong part of London.

"I said Saint Mary's! What sort of Martian are you? Where is this?" She yelled back at The Doctor who stuck his out of the doors in puzzlement. He stroked the side of the TARIDS in concern.

"Something's wrong with her…" He muttered.

"Oh sure, blame the TARDIS." Rose said with a grin. "What has she done to you?" The Doctor pointedly ignored her and rushed back to the console.

"She's digesting…" He said, with one hand on the Time Rotor. "What have you eaten? What's wrong?" He asked his ship. "Donna?" He called. "You gotta think. Is there anything that you might have caused this?" But Donna wasn't paying attention. She was walking around the TARDIS, feeling the wooden walls in bewilderment, trying to understand. When she had made it back to the front, she ran back inside and stood on the ramp, staring around in confusion.

"Anything you might have done?" The Doctor continued, oblivious to Donna's distress. But Rose was a bit more observant. She walked over to Donna and put her arm around her.

"It's ok." She told her. "It's just bigger on the inside, that's all."

"Oh!" Donna snorted, turning to face her. "That's all!"

"Yeah. It just takes a little getting used to." Donna eyed her disbelieving. "The first time I came in here," Rose told her. "We were being chased by my boyfriend who had just been turned into plastic and this git," She thumbed over her shoulder at The Doctor "had pulled his bloody head off!" Donna couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Men." She said and Rose smiled at her. Then The Doctor walked over to join them.

"I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean have you…seen lights in the city? Or did you touch something? Something different? Something strange? Something made out a sort of metal? Or… Who're your getting married to? Are you sure he's human?" The Doctor asked, still trying to locate the cause of the TARDIS's problem.

"He isn't a bit overweight with a zip in his forehead is he?" Rose added. Donna just stared at them like they each had two heads, then turned and ran out of the TARDIS. After looking at each other, both The Doctor and Rose ran after her, falling into step beside her.

"Come back to the TARDIS." The Doctor asked her.

"No way!" Donna told him as she glanced at her watch then sighed. "Ten past three. I'm going to miss it." She said, suppressing tears as she walked.

"You can phone them." The Doctor suggested. "Tell them where you are."

"How do I do that?" Donna asked him.

"Haven't you got a mobile?" He asked and Rose winced, sensing the explosion that was coming. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor Time Lord. Donna stopped and stared at her.

"I'm in my wedding dress. If doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? When I went to my fitting, do you think I said 'Allison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me _pockets_!'?" the Doctor slid his hands into Rose's. As Donna continued marching down the street he turned to her and said,

"See. This is why I don't do domestic." Rose laughed then hit him lightly.

"Come on." She said, and they both went after Donna. "This man you're marrying, what's his name?" she asked when they caught up to her.

"Lance." Donna told her lovingly.

"Gotta like Lance." The Doctor said.

"Oi!" Donna cried. "No stupid Martian is going to stop me from getting married! To Hell with you!" Donna ran off down the street.

"I'm…I'm not…I'm not from Mars…" The Doctor protested feebly at her retreating figure. He sighed and shook his head as Rose squeezed his hand and they ran after Donna.

_A/N_

_Please leave me a review! Or else no updates… Mu-ha-ha-ha! But please, let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor and Rose followed Donna out to a busy street where she was trying to hail a cab.

"Taxi!" She cried as they joined her, but it just ignored them.

"Why's his light on?" Rose asked annoyed as they drove past.

"There's another one!" The Doctor pointed and ran towards it. "Taxi!" He called, trying to catch it, but it also just ignored them.

"Oi!" Donna cried, now _very_ annoyed.

"There's one!" Rose called, waving trying to get its attention, but like all the previous ones, it just drove past

"Oi!" Donna cried again.

"Do you have this effect on everyone?"The Doctor asked. "Why aren't they stopping?"

"They think I'm in fancy dress." Donna said. Just then another taxi drove by them who honked his horn at them.

"Stay off the scotch darlin'!" The driver called at her

"They think I'm drunk." Donna said, slightly offended. A blue car drove by now with two men who called out the window,

"You're fooling no one mate!"

"They think I'm in drag!" Donna said, exasperated. The Doctor looked her up and down appraisingly.

"Hold on, hold on." The Doctor said, then raised his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly and piercingly. Both Donna and Rose covered their ears.

"Ouch!" Rose complained, but it was effective. A taxi screeched to a stop in front of them and the three of them piled in.

"Saint Mary's in Chiswick, just off Hayden Road." Donna told the driver. "It's an emergency, I'm getting married. Just…hurry up!" The driver turned around to face him.

"You know it'll cost you sweetheart?" He asked. "Double rates today."

"Oh my god! Have you got any money?" Donna turned towards The Doctor.

"Um…No. And you?" The Doctor admitted sheepishly. He turned questionably to Rose. She shook her head.

"Traveling with you has kinda broken me of the habit." Rose said. When the driver realized that they had no money among the three of them, he immediately stopped the taxi, and they were out. The Doctor slammed the door behind them.

"And that goes double for your mother!" Donna yelled at him. But the driver just drove off. "I'll have him. I've got his number. I'll have him. Talk about the Christmas spirit!"

"Is it Christmas?" Rose asked. It was easy to lose track of time in the TARDIS.

"Well, duh!" Donna said. "Maybe not on Mars, but not here it's Christmas Eve." But then, Donna hit him on the shoulder and pointed off to the distance.

"Phone box!" She cried and rushed towards it."We can reverse the charges!" She cried as she ran.

"How come you're getting married on Christmas Eve?" The Doctor asked as he followed her.

"Can't bear it." Donna explained. "I hate Christmas. Honeymoon in Morocco. Sunshine – lovely." But when they reached the phone box, Rose remembered something,

"Wait. Here." She said, pulling her mobile out of her pocket. "You can use this." Donna gratefully accepted it.

"Thanks." Donna said gratefully, and dialed the number.

"Phone." The Doctor told her. "I'll get money." And he sprinted off to the nearest cash machine. Luckily, there was one right down the street. The Doctor stood there impatiently, hopping from one foot to the other as he waited for the man in front of him to finish, who was being incredibly slow.

"Oh, answer the phone!" Donna pled into Rose's mobile, as her mum's phone just continued to ring. Finally, she gave up and dialed Lance. He didn't answer either. So finally, Donna dialed her mum again and left her a message.

"Mum, get off the phone and listen." She said. "I in…" Donna looked around, realizing she had no idea where she was. "Oh my god, I don't know where I am! It's a street." Donna tried to describe, looking around trying to get some frame of reference. "And there's W.H. Smith. But it's definitely Earth!" Back at the cash machine, the man in front of The Doctor finally finished, and The Doctor walked up to it. Looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking, he used his sonic screwdriver to take some money from the machine.

"Here." Donna said, pressing Rose's phone into her hands. "Thanks for nothing." Then she walked off. "Excuse me." She went up to a woman on the street. "I'm begging you. I'm getting married, I really am. And I'm late, and I just need to borrow a tenner and I'll pay you back, I promise. And it's Christmas." She pled with the woman.

"You should really wait for The Doctor…" Rose asked her. But Donna was ignoring her. She had had enough. But down the street, The Doctor's attention was elsewhere. Approaching him from further on down the street, were some masked Santas with instruments. The same ones that he had seen last Christmas, when he had just regenerated. When the Sycorax had invaded.

"Taxi!" he heard Donna call, and he looked over his shoulder to see Donna climbing into a taxi, Rose arguing with her, trying to get her to stay. "Just take me to Chiswick." She told the driver, ignoring Rose. Donna looked up and saw him standing there. "Thanks for nothing spaceman!" she called. "I'll see you in court!" Then she got into the taxi and drove away. But not before The Doctor saw the driver of the taxi. It was another masked Santa. Now he knew something was up.

"Donna!" he cried. But it was too late, the taxi drove away, nearly hitting Rose in the process.

"Oi! Watch where you're going." She called, as she walked back over to join The Doctor. But then she saw the masked Santas that were now approaching them. "Um…Doctor!" she cried, as they lowered their instruments at them, She knew all too well, what those instruments were capable of.

_A/N_

_I hope you enjoyed this. This was a hard scene to write, it was so fast paced! So let me know how you think I did! And I promise, there will be more significant changes later. This isn't just going to be me giving Rose some of the dialogue! Promise! Anyways, review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N_

_Sorry it took me so long to update! I got distracted by other stories… _

_

* * *

_

"Um… Doctor!" Rose cried as she saw the approaching masked Santas with lowered instruments. She remembered the last time she had seen them. It had been last Christmas, right after The Doctor had regenerated, and they had almost killed her and Mickey. The Doctor looked around, looking for a way to get away. Whipping out his sonic screwdriver, he pointed it at the cash machine he had just been at. It whirred, then starting shooting notes everywhere. Instantly, there was chaos in the street between The Doctor and Rose and the masked Santas as people around them scrambled madly to pick up the money. Rose held on to The Doctor's arm as he held eye contact with the Santas, warning them to stay away. Then, reaching over, he grabbed Rose's hand and said just one word.

"Run!"

"What are they doing here again?" Rose asked as they sprinted back towards the TARDIS.

"I don't know!" The Doctor cried. "But the cab Donna just drove off in was being driven by one! We have to catch her!"

* * *

"I promise you mate," Donna told the taxi driver. "I'll give you the rest when we get there. Oh, I look a mess." She said as she took off her veil, trying to catch her breath. "Hurry up!" she told the driver.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose reached the TARDIS at a full sprint, and he practically slammed into the door as he pulled out his key in his hurry to unlock the door.

* * *

"Hold on a minute, I said Chiswick!" Donna said in the taxi. "You missed the turning." She pointed out as she realized where they were. There was no response from the driver. "'Scuse me? We should have turned off back there." She tried again, but there was still no response. "We're going the wrong way!" she cried.

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, The Doctor was coaxing it into flight in his usual manner, pummeling it with the small mallet he kept nearby. Finally the Time Rotor began to rise and fall as the TARDIS took flight.

"But what drew them here?" Rose asked, half to herself as she stood off to the side by the Captain's chair. "Last time they were after you." The Doctor continued his maniac running around the console but answered.

"I don't know!" He cried. "But something is going on, and we're going to find out what!"

"What is it with us and Christmas?" Rose muttered under her breath. The Doctor just grinned at her.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing?" Donna demanded to know. "I'm late for the wedding! _My own _wedding!" She cried. "Do you get that?"

* * *

The Doctor grabbed the monitor on the console and brought it over and began tracking the taxi's progress.

"They're headed for the motorway!" Rose said.

"Hang on!" The Doctor told her, and Rose grabbed hold of the console as he coaxed the TARDIS to go faster.

* * *

The taxi had now joined the motorway and was cutting across the lanes, causing the other drivers to honk their horns angrily.

"Turn around! Turn this cab around right now!" Donna demanded. "Are you deaf or what?" She cried and reached forward and pulled the Santa hood off, revealing a robot underneath. Donna sat back in shock. "Oh my god." She whispered, then started pushing and hitting doors and windows of the cab, trying to attract the attention of the other drivers.

"Help me! Help me!" she cried, as she pummeled the glass. A man in a red van noticed her as they passed and he looked concerned, but he was helpless to do anything. "Help me! Help me! I'm being driving by a robot!" she cried to no avail.

* * *

Sparks flew from the TARDIS console, and it tilted dangerously almost throwing The Doctor and Rose off balance.

"Behave!" The Doctor scolded it, hitting it again with the mallet.

"Maybe she would if you quit hitting with that mallet." Rose suggested. The Doctor just glared at her and she giggled. Shaking his head, The Doctor turned back to the console and dropped the TARDIS out of the sky, spinning right above Donna's taxi. Donna saw it out of the back of the cab, but just sat back in the seat, not believing it.

"You've got to be kidding me." She muttered. On board the TARDIS, The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and dragged her over to the console.

"Hold this down." He told her, placing her hand on the control. "And if I tell you, pull this lever then push this down." He said, showing her the controls. Rose nodded her understanding, biting her lip in concentration. The Doctor stumbled to the TARDIS door and threw it open. The TARDIS was next to Donna's taxi. Donna stared at him, her hands pressed against the window. "Open the door!" The Doctor yelled at her.

"Do what?" Donna yelled back, not quite hearing her.

"Open the door!" He yelled again.

"I can't! It's locked!" Donna cried. The Doctor braced himself against the TARDIS doorframe and dug out his sonic screwdriver. He pointed it at the cab door, allowing Donna to push the window open.

"What did you do?" Donna asked.

"Something…Martian." The Doctor yelled. This was not the time or the place to explain about the sonic screwdriver.

"Santa's a robot!" Donna cried. This was not the way she had envisioned her wedding day going.

"Donna, open the door!" the Doctor called to her.

"What for?" She demanded to know.

"You've got to jump!" He told her. The robot driving the cab turned his head slightly at this.

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping!" Donna cried shrilly. "I'm supposed to be getting married!" Here, the robot put his foot down, and the taxi sped up, passing the TARDIS.

"Now Rose!" The Doctor cried over his shoulder. Rose pulled the lever then pushed the control he had shown her. There were several small explosions and sparks from the console. Rose gave a small yell, trying to wave away the smoke and keep her hand on the control the Doctor had shown her, but the TARDIS sped up, bouncing a little. It ended up bouncing on the roof a car before catching back up with the taxi. "Nice driving!" The Doctor called as he tried to maintain his balance and not fall of the TARDIS.

"Still better than yours!"Rose called back. The Doctor smiled, then pulled out the sonic screwdriver again and pointed it at the robot, disabling it.

"Listen to me!" he called to Donna. "You've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway!" She called back obstinately. No way!

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you!" he yelled, nodding towards the robot. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!" She yelled back, protesting.

"Yes!" The Doctor cried, exasperated. "You look lovely! Come on!" Donna hesitated, then breathing deeply to try and calm herself, she opened the door, getting into position to jump. The Doctor held out his arms, indicating that he would catch her.

"I can't do it!" She cried, afraid as she looked down and realized how fast they were going. This was insane!

"Trust me." The Doctor told her calmly, trying to calm her fears enough that she would jump to the safety of the TARDIS. Behind him, Rose called out.

"Please Donna! You have to trust him! It's the only way!" Donna hesitated for a moment longer then with a scream jumped out of the taxi and into the TARDIS where she landed on top of The Doctor and they both collapsed in a heap on the floor. He kicked the doors shut, then ran back to the console and flew the TARDIS back up into the sky and away from the motorway.

* * *

_A/N_

_I hope you enjoyed! This was a hard scene to write because of all the action. I hope I did it justice. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Please? _


	5. Chapter 5

Donna looked at her watch. Half past three. She had missed it. Behind her, the Doctor was coughing and sputtering as he sprayed an extinguisher inside the TARDIS doors, smoke billowing from inside.

"I'm sorry." Rose said, coming up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Donna just nodded.

"The funny thing is," The Doctor said, walking over to join them. "For a spaceship, she doesn't really doesn't do that much…flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" He asked Donna. She just shrugged.

"Doesn't matter." She said quietly.

"Did we miss it?" He asked as they walked to the edge of the high rise building that they had landed on, looking out over the city.

"Yeah." Donna told him sarcastically.

"Well, you can book another date…" Rose tried to console her.

"Course we can." Donna said sadly.

"Still got the honey moon…"The Doctor tried to cheer her up.

"It's just a holiday now." Donna said.

"Yeah…" The Doctor said. "Sorry." He apologized.

"It's not your fault."Donna told him with a half smile.

"Oh! That's a change." The Doctor said, smiling, the wind ruffling his hair.

"Wish we had a time machine." Donna said. "Then we could go back and get it right. The Doctor and Rose glanced at each other, and he shook his head a tiny bit. Rose nodded to show that she understood. They weren't going to tell her.

"…Yeah. Yeah." The Doctor said. "But…even if I did. I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently." He couldn't help but think of the Time War, and how tempting it always was to go back and change the way things turned out, to save his people. Donna glanced at him oddly, then went to go sit of on the edge of the roof. Rose grabbed his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. She knew what he was thinking of. He smiled at her slightly, then they went to go sit next to her. The Doctor removed his coat, and draped it around Donna's shoulders. It was windy up here, and she was only in her wedding dress and starting to shiver. Donna clutched it around her gratefully as The Doctor sat next to her, reaching over to grab Rose's hand.

"God, you're skinny." Donna said. "This wouldn't fit a rat." She told him. The Doctor just smiled at her.

"Oh, and you'd better put this on." He told her as he pulled out a ring from one of his pockets that looked suspiciously to a wedding ring.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna asked, somewhat indignantly.

"Those creatures can trace you." He told her. "This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." The Doctor slipped the ring on her finger. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp." He said with a smile, popping the 'p'.

"For better or for worse." Donna said with a small smile, which The Doctor returned. "So, come on then." Donna said. "Robot Santas. What are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger." He said dismissively.

"The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise." Rose added. "They're trying to blend in." Donna looked over at her. "We met them last Christmas." She explained.

"Why? What happened then?" Donna asked, slightly confused. The Doctor and Rose looked at each other.

"Great big spaceship?" The Doctor said.

"Hovering over London?" Rose added. "You didn't notice?"

"I had a bit of a hangover." Donna said with a dismissive shrug. With another glance at each other, The Doctor and Rose decided not to pursue this.

"I spent Christmas Day just over there." He said, scanning the city below them. Rose looked and smiled.

"The Powell Estates." She said. "My family lives … " Rose hesitated as she remembered that she couldn't just pop back in to see Jackie anymore. The Doctor squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Well, my mum used to live there." She said quietly. "Still…gone now."

"What happened?" Donna asked. Sensing that Rose didn't want to talk about it, The Doctor interrupted.

"Question is, what do the camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you?" He asked. "And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know…" he trailed off, contemplating her. Donna just rolled her eyes. "What's your job?" he asked as he pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket.

"I'm a secretary." She said looking at him as he began scanning her with the sonic screwdriver.

"It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important…"

"Is he always like this?" Donna asked Rose, slightly insulted. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You're being rude again." She told The Doctor.

"Rude and not ginger." He said with a grin, as he continued to scan Donna, who whacked the screwdriver aside.

"Stop bleeping me!" She cried.

"What kind of secretary?" Rose asked.

"I'm at H.C. Clements. It's where I met Lance." Donna said with a small smile. "I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought, I'm never gonna fit in her. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me! But he was nice. He was funny." Donna's voice softened. "And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" Rose asked.

"Six months ago." Donna said with a smile.

"Bit quick, to get noticed…" The Doctor pointed out.

"Well…he insisted." Donna said. "And he nagged…and he nagged me… And he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

"What does H.C. Clements do?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, security systems, you know…" Donna told him. "Entry codes, ID cards… that sort of thing. If you ask me. It's a posh name of locksmiths.

"Keys…" The Doctor said musingly, still trying to figure out what was going on.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming." She said, already dreading what was coming. "You can do the explaining Martian-boy." She told The Doctor with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm not from Mars." He told her. Donna nodded as he got to his feet and helped Rose up. Then he reached down and offered her a hand up.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned." She said as she stood. "Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

* * *

_A/N_

_Review please! Reviews=Love=Me updating faster! _


	6. Chapter 6

Donna walked into the reception hall, followed by The Doctor and Rose, and stopped as she watched in angrily in shock. "Merry Christmas Everybody" was blaring at full volume and everyone was dancing, drinking, eating and laughing. Donna folded her arms as she stood there, thunderstruck. Her mother, Sylvia spotter her first and froze. The rest of the room soon followed suit as one-by-one they spotted her, until the whole room was silent as the all stared at Donna.

"You had the reception without me?" She said, unbelieving.

"Donna…" Lance said from where he had been dancing. "What happened to ya?"

"You had the reception _without me_?" She just asked, again, her voice raising a notch. There was an awkward silence as no one wanted to answer, and people avoided meeting her eyes.

"Hello! I'm The Doctor." He said cheerfully, breaking the silence. "And this is Rose."

"They had the reception without me." Donna said again, turning to him.

"Yes, I gathered." The Doctor told her.

"Well, it was all paid for… why not?" The woman who had been dancing with Lance said. _Her_ Lance!

"Thank you, Nerys." Donna said sarcastically. If looks could kill, Nerys would be very dead right now. Sylvia approached Donna.

"Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. 'I'm on Earth.' Very funny." She said sarcastically. "What the hell happened? I mean, what's the trick because I'd love to know…" Sylvia demanded to know and here other guests, family members and friends all joined in and started at the same time. Pretty soon, all Donna could hear was an incomprehensible babble of voices. She stared at them all, not knowing what to say or do. She couldn't tell them what had really happened. They'd think she was bonkers. So she did the next best thing. She burst into tears. Immediately, their anger turned into pity and Lance forward and hugged her. She cried into his shoulder as everyone applauded. But over Lance's shoulder, Donna winked at the Doctor and Rose through her fake tears. The Doctor smirked while Rose smiled in admiration.

"Oh, she's good." She whispered over to The Doctor.


	7. Chapter 7

Now that that bride was back, the reception continued as before. Except now, Donna joined in the dancing, taking Nerys's place and dancing with Lance. The Doctor leaned against the bar and smiled as he watched her. Rose appeared next to him.

"So what do you think Doctor?" She said, holding out her hand to him. "Think you still got the moves?" She asked, raising her eyebrows, daring him. He grinned at her and took hand.

"I don't know. Let's find out." He said with a tongue in cheek grin." And he led her to the dance floor. The music seemed to intensify as he danced with Rose and he couldn't help but smile at the appropriateness of the song.

_Well I've roamed about the Earth,_

_With just a suitcase in my hand,_

_And I've met some bug-eyed Joes._

_I've met the blessed; I've met the dammed,_

_But of all the strange, strange creatures_

_In the air, on sea, on land,_

_Oh my girl, my girl, my precious girl,_

_I love you, you understand._

The Doctor's hold tightened on Rose with that last line, and she looked up at him.

"Doctor?" she asked quietly. He looked down at her and smiled. She smiled back. Words weren't necessary. They both knew what the other was thinking.

_Well, you took me in, you stole my heart, _

_I cannot roam no more,_

_Because love, it stays with you, _

_It does not wash up on a shore._

_But a fighting man forgets each cut,_

_Each knock, each bruise, each fall._

_But a fighting man cannot fight, _

_Why his love don't roam no more. _

_So reel me in my precious girl_

_Come on, take me home_

'_Cause my body's tired of traveling_

_And my heart don't wish to roam._

_Yeah, walk with me my precious girl, _

_Walk tall, walk proud, walk far._

_For you are my love, you are, you are_

_You are my shining star you are, you are_

_Yeah._

_So reel me in, my precious girl,_

_Come on, take me home._

'_Cause my body's tired of traveling_

_And my heart doesn't wish to roam._

The Doctor and Rose slowly circled on the dance floor, holding tightly to each other until the last chorus faded. The Doctor smiled as he brushed a stray hair from her face. Rose smiled back.

"Thanks." She said softly.

"Anytime." He told her, just as quietly. They stood there for a while, just holding each other before they finally broke apart. Taking Rose's hand, he led her back over to the bar.

"How's that for moves?" He asked with a grin.

"Shame Jack isn't here." Rose said, "He'd be downright jealous." She teased. The Doctor laughed and they sat in comfortable silence then suddenly, The Doctor had a thought.

"Can I have a look at your mobile?" He asked her, and she dug it out of her pocket and gave it to him.

"Whatcha doing?" She asked as she watched him do a search for "H.C. Clements" on her phone.

"I have a feeling that there's something bigger going on behind H.C. Clements." He told her. Looking around to make that no one was watching, The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and used it to speed up the process. Results started to flick by on the screen until The Doctor stopped it. The phone read,

"Sole Prop. TORCHWOOD."

"Torchwood." Rose read over his shoulder. "Like _Torchwood?_" She asked as he closed the phone and gave it to her. He just nodded.

"The one and the same."

"But weren't they destroyed? At Canary Wharf."Rose asked, still confused. The Doctor nodded again.

"Torchwood was destroyed, but H.C. Clements stayed in business…" He mused, trying to figure out what was going on. But as he thought, he noticed the cameraman in the corner, taping the proceedings. "Come on." He said, grabbing her hand and running over to him.


	8. Chapter 8

"I taped the whole thing." He said. "They've all had a look. They said 'Sell it to "You've Been Framed"' I said, 'More like the news." Here we are…" He played the tape. As The Doctor and Rose watched, the camera zoomed in on Donna's face as she walked down the aisle. Suddenly she stopped and screamed as she seemingly disintegrated into golden particles.

"Can't be!" The Doctor said in disbelief. "Play it again?"

"Clever mind! Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The cameraman said as he rewound the tape. The Doctor watched the tape again, his brow furrowed incredulously.

"But that looks like…Huon particles!" He said in disbelief.

"What's that then?" Rose asked.

"That's impossible! That's…ancient!" The Doctor explained. "Huon particles don't exist anymore, not for billions of years! So old that…" He trailed off as he realized something, and his eyes were drawn to the biodamper he had placed on Donna earlier. "…It can't be hidden by a biodamper!" His eyes widened as he realized this, and he and Rose looked at each other in horror, than he broke away and sprinted to a nearby window. Sure enough, standing there were the Santas, making their way slowly to the reception hall. The Doctor rushed over to Donna, Rose right behind him.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you!" The Doctor cried as they ran up to her on the dance floor.

"But you said I was safe." She protested.

"The biodamper doesn't work." Rose told her.

"We've got to get everyone one out." The Doctor said and Donna looked around her.

"Oh my god…it's all my family…" She breathed as she realized.

"Out the back door!" The Doctor told her, and the three of them ran out of the hall and out the back door, only to be confronted by two more Santas. Doing an about-face, they slammed the door shut behind them, and Rose leaned against it.

"Maybe not." She said, then the three of them ran back inside. The Doctor darted to another window, and pulled back the curtain only to see two more Santas standing below them.

"We're trapped." He said, staring out the window at the Santas, his breath fogging up the glass. But what caught The Doctor's attention was the remote control the Santas were holding. And as they watched, the Santas slowly raised it. The Doctor stood there for a moment in confusion. Then he realized. Whipping around, he stared at the Christmas tree in the middle of the room.

"Christmas trees…" He muttered in growing horror.

"What about them?" Dona asked.

"They kill." Rose told her grimly.

* * *

"Get away from the tree!" The Doctor cried as they raced back into the crowd of the reception.

"Don't touch the tree!" Rose shouted.

"Get away from the Christmas tree!" Donna yelled as they tried to usher people away but all they were getting was strange looks.

"Everyone get away from the tree!" The Doctor ordered as Donna ushered a group of little girls away from the tree.

"Oi!" She cried, trying to get people's attention. "Lance, tell them!" she appealed to her fiancée for help.

"Stay away from the tree!" Rose shouted again as she helped The Doctor usher people away. She recalled all too vividly what had happened last Christmas. A Christmas tree, controlled by those Santas, had almost killer her, her mum, Mickey, and the newly regenerated Doctor. "Can't you stop them?" She asked The Doctor.

"Not enough time." He told her. "Just every, please! Stay away from the tree!" he pled with the crowd.

"Oh, for god's sake." Sylvia said striding forward and crossing her arms. "The man's an idiot! Why?" She demanded to know. "What's a Christmas tree…" She started to say, then trailed off with an "Oh!" as she stared in amazement. The Doctor, Rose and Donna all whirled around and stared with the rest of the crowd as the ornaments floated off the tree and began to hover above peoples' heads in a strange sort of dance. The Doctor watched them suspiciously, whereas the others were laughing and smiling, thinking nothing of the seemingly harmless show. That was, until the ornaments started dive-bombing and exploding. Instantly there was chaos as people started screaming and running for cover. Donna pulled Lance underneath a table to hide with her and The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and together they dived behind the DJ's table. The Doctor poked his head up when the explosions ceased and found himself confronted by all the Santas, lined up opposite them.

"Oi! Santa!" He cried, rising to his feet. "Word of advice! If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," Here he leaned down and spoke into the microphone so that his words echoed across the hall, "Don't let him near the sound system!" He told them, the pointed his sonic at the amplifier and turned it on. Immediately, there was a horrible, high-pitched screeching sound and everyone covered their ears. But the Santa robots started to vibrate violently. The Doctor kept the sonic on until the robots fell to pieces. When they did, The Doctor finally turned off the sonic and put it back in his pocket, then rushed over to examine the Santas. Everyone in the hall began to get up off the floor. Donna ran over to two of the kids.

"Michael? Connie?" she asked, looking them over to make sure they weren't hurt. The Doctor picked up the control the Santas had been using to control the ornaments.

"Look at that." The Doctor said, showing to Rose as Donna came up behind them. "Remote control for the decorations." He explained, seeing Donna's confused look. "But there's a second control for the robots." He realized as he took apart a robot's head. "They're not scavengers anymore." He said, looking up at Rose. "I think someone's taken possession."

"But who?" Rose asked.

"Probably whoever took over H.C. Clements." The Doctor said, thinking.

"Never mind all that." Donna said. "You're a Doctor… people have been hurt."

"Nah… They wanted you alive. Look." He said, throwing her one of the decorations lying nearby. Donna caught it neatly, but was still unconvinced.

"All I'm saying – you could help." The Doctor rubbed the back off his neck with one hand.

"Gotta think of the bigger picture…." He told her, scanning the head with a sonic screwdriver. "There's still a signal!" The Doctor cried as he caught something, and took off running, Rose right behind him. Donna started to follow after them when her mother stopped her.

"Donna…" She said. "Who are they? Who are those people?" She asked, sounding scared. Donna didn't have an answer. The truth was, she really didn't know. But she followed after them anyways, leaving Sylvia and Lance staring after her as she followed them outside. The Doctor was standing out in the middle of the yard scanning the helmet he had removed from the Santa with the sonic screwdriver.

"There's someone behind this." He said. "Directing the robo-force."

"But why is it me?" Donna asked him. "What have I done?"

"If we can find the controller," He told her, "We'll find that out. Oh!" He exclaimed as he raised his sonic screwdriver in the air as it caught the signal. "It's up there." He said. "Something in the sky."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N_

_I'm SOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that I haven't uploaded in *FOREVER* I got sidetracked by "Taken" then it was finals then school was out and I started working full time… I always promised myself that I would never be one of those authors that abandoned a story and then I went and did just that. So I'm going to try and finish this one. Also sorry if the story hasn't actually been very different in the past several chapters. I'm working on it and it'll get good very soon! Please review!_

"I've lost the signal!" The Doctor said disappointed as he lowered the screwdriver. "Donna," He said, turning to her. "We've gotta to your office. H.C. Clements. I think that's where it all started. Lance." He said, he said turning towards Lance who had followed them out. "Is it Lance? Can you give me a lift?" Then he darted off, without waiting for a response. Lance and Donna looked at Rose who shrugged apologetically. Then they all ran after him.

XXXXXXXXX

The Doctor, Rose, Donna and Lance arrived at H.C. Clements and ran into the building, and straight to Donna's office. The Doctor went straight to a computer.

"This jus may be a locksmiths, but H.C. Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute."

"Who are they?" Donna asked, confused.

"They were behind the Battle of Canary Wharf." Rose told her, but there was just blank silence from Donna.

"…Cybermen invasion." She told her, but Donna just continued to look at her inquiringly.

"Skies of London full of Daleks?" The Doctor tried this time.

"Oh, I was in Spain." Donna said, shrugging.

"They had Cybermen in Spain." Rose told her, wondering how in the world Donna had missed all of this.

"Scuba diving." Donna said.

"That big picture." The Doctor said. "You keep missing it." Then he darted over to another computer.

"Torchwood was destroyed but H.C Clements stayed in business." Rose said, remembering what The Doctor had said before.

"I think someone else came in and took over..." The Doctor finished her thought as he whacked the monitor in front of him. His usual method of getting technology to work – Hit it until it behaved. "The operation."

"But what do they want from me?" Donna asked.

"Somehow, you've been dosed with Huon Energy." He told her. "And that's a problem because Huon Energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'll find a Huon particle is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS." The Doctor looked around for a way to explain. He grabbed up a mug and showed it to Donna. "Say that's the TARDIS. And this is you." He picked up a pencil in his other hand. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and WHAP!" He threw to the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna asked a little weakly, with just a dash of sarcasm and anger thrown in.

"Yes you are." The Doctor shook the mug so that the pencil inside it rattled. Rose placed a comfortingly hand on Donna's shoulder but Donna just shrugged it off as the Doctor continued oblivious. "4H. Sums you up. What was H.C Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" These last questions were aimed more towards Lance who shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't a project manager." He said denfensively, starting to get angry. Who did this Doctor think he was anyways? But The Doctor ignored him too and held up his sonic screwdriver to the screen. Pages flashed across it until The Doctor found what he was looking for.

"Why am I even explaining myself? What the Hell are we talking about?" Lance demanded answers.

"Doctor?" Rose asked him, looking over his shoulder at the computer screen.

"They make keys." The Doctor told her; very aware of how close Rose was…. "That's the point." He cleared his throat and tried to focus on the problem at hand. "And look at this…." He pulled up a 3D plan of the building on the screen. "We're here. On the third floor." The Doctor ran back over to the lift and repeatedly pressed the call button. Rose, Donna and Lance ran after him. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" He asked as they waited. The doors pinged open and he stepped inside and looked at the controls. "Then how come when you look on the lift there's a button marked 'lower basement'?"

"There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans." Rose said, realizing. "Like the hospital on New Earth with missing Intensive Care."

"Exactly!" The Doctor beamed at her. "So the question is what's down there then?"

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked from where he stood behind Donna.

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor." The Doctor said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"It needs a key." Donna objected.

"I don't." He said as he soniced the lock. Rose couldn't help but giggle.

"Right then." The Doctor said. "Thanks you two. We can handle this. See you later."

"No chance Martian." Donna said. "You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight." And she joined The Doctor and Rose in the lift. The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Rose but didn't object.

"Going down." Was all he said.

"Lance?" Donna asked pointedly. She was obviously expecting him to join them.

"May I should go to the police…" Lance said, trying to get out of it.

"Inside." Donna ordered him and he meekly joined them in the lift.

"To honor and obey?" The Doctor asked him.

"Tell me about it mate." Lance said as Rose smacked The Doctor on the arm.

"Owww…." He complained as Donna shot Lance a glare accompanied with an

"Oi!" as the doors closed and the lift descended.


	10. Chapter 10

The lift pinged when it reached the lower basement and The Doctor, Rose, Donna and Lance stepped out into a long, dark, dank corridor that was lit dimly with an eerie green light.

"Don't you ever get tired of the same corridors?" Rose asked sarcastically. "They all look the same!"

"Never!" The Doctor told her. "Corridors mean running! Love the running!" Rose just grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Love the running." She agreed.

"Excuse me," Donna interrupted them. "But where are we? What goes on down here?"

"Let's find out!" The Doctor said enthusiastically as he grabbed Rose's hand and set off walking down the hallway.

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" Donna asked as she followed after them.

"The mysterious H.C. Clements? I think he's part of it." He told her, then stopped as his eye was caught by something off to the side. "Oh, look! Transport!" He said excitedly with an impish grin.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The four of them rolled down on the segways that they had appropriated. Donna and Rose just looked at each then burst out laughing. The Doctor soon joined in, the whole situation was just so odd. Lance just looked at them like they were all bonkers. As they rolled down the hall, The Doctor stopped at a door which had a sign on it that read,

"Torchwood. Authorized personnel only." The Doctor got off his scooter and turned the wheel that opened the door. When he got it opened, inside was a narrow shaft with a ladder inside it. The Doctor peered upwards.

"Wait here." He said. "Just need to get my bearings. Don't… do anything." He told the three of them, "Make sure they don't do anything stupid." He told Rose and started up the ladder.

"You'd better come back." Rose told him, watching him as he climbed. The Doctor looked down at her.

"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried." He told her with a smile.

"They keep trying to split us up, but they never will."

"Never." The Doctor agreed and continued his climb as Rose, Donna and Lance watched him.

"Donna…" Lance said. "Have you thought about this? Properly?" He asked her. "I mean, this is serious! What the hell are we gonna do?"

"Oh, I thought July." Donna told him, not really listening to him. She smiled brightly then turned her attention back to The Doctor climbing the ladder. As The Doctor reached the top he was confronted by the underside of a manhole cover. He opened it and climbed out into the daylight. He looked around from where he was standing on the top of a Thames Flood barrier. When he was satisfied he knew where they were, he climbed back down and jumped off the last rung of the ladder.

"Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us!" He told them." Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna asked astonished.

"Unheard of." Rose said with a smile, think of that day so long ago when she had first met The Doctor. Back when he was all big ears and leather. The Doctor grinned over at her and snagged her hand in his.

"Let's just say, don't go climbing underneath the Eye anytime, K?" He grinned mischievously. Donna eyed them suspiciously. They continued exploring and soon found themselves inside some kind of laboratory that was full of massive test tubes bubbling away and chemistry equipment

"Oh, look at that!" The Doctor exclaimed! "Stunning! Particle extrusion!"

"What does it do?" Donna asked.

"Particle extrusion." The Doctor explained. Well Duh…. "Hold on…" he said and darted over to one of the bubbling tubes and tapped it. "Brilliant! They've been manufacturing Huon particles! In case my people got rid of Huon, they unraveled the atomic structure.

"You're people?" Lance asked. "Who are they? What country do you represent?"

"Oh, I'm a freelancer." The Doctor sidestepped the question. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river! Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result – Huon particles in liquid form!" He held up a small test tube full of the Huon particles.

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked and in response, The Doctor gently turned a knob on the top of the test tube, making the contents glow gold and Donna with it.

"Oh my God!" Donna exclaimed/

"Because the particles are inert they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you." He said gently. Saturate the body then….Ha!" Donna nearly jumped as The Doctor was all enthusiasm again. "The wedding!" He exclaimed. "Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle – oh your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine, WHAM go the endorphins, oh you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point, Shazam!" But The Doctor's rant was cut off when Donna slapped him again. And just as hard.

"What did I do this time?" The Doctor cried indignantly, holding his cheek.

"Are you enjoying this?" Donna asked him. The Doctor looked somewhat guilty, but they were both interrupted by a soft

"Doctor…." It was Rose who was standing of to the side. She was looking down at her hands. They were glowing. The Doctor's face instantly fell, and he walked over to her. Rose looked up at him. "The only other place Huon particles are found is inside the heart of the TARDIS." She repeated back to him.

"But… That's impossible!" He protested. "I took it all out of you!"

"Just tell me…" Rose said. "These particles. Are they dangerous? Are we safe?" She asked, indicating herself and Donna.

"Yes!" The Doctor said a little too eagerly and not very convincingly.

"Doctor…If your lot got rid of Huon particles… Why did they do that?" Rose asked. The Doctor looked down.

"Because they were deadly." He admitted quietly.

"Oh my God…" Donna breathed.

"I'll sort it out Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I promise. And Rose, as soon as we get back to the TARDIS, I want to run some tests. If there's still something of the Bad Wolf left in you, I want to know. But you're going to be safe. I promise you. I promised you're mum I'd look after you." Rose nodded and The Doctor enfolded her in a huge hug. "But you're not making it easy for me!" The Doctor accused her with a smile. "I still say that you're the most jeopardy friendly companion I've ever had!"

"Am not!" Rose protested.

"Are so!" The Doctor argued with her, reaching down to squeeze her hand. Rose stuck her tongue out at him. The Doctor resisted the urge to kiss her deeply then and there. "But I'll always be there to get you out." He told her softly, looking deep into her eyes. "Always. As long as you want me." Rose smiled up at him.

"Forever." She whispered softly.

_A/N_

_Awww… Please review, and I'll try to update within 6 months again! :D Sorry again about that…. _


	11. Chapter 11

Ok, so I know I said I was discontinuing this. I changed my mind. So move on the next chapter and enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N_

_So I know I said I was discontinuing this story, but I can't do that to you people… I felt too guilty. So I'm going to try and finish this… I really will try to update more than every 6 months! Promise! :D_

Just then, they were interrupted by a series of crashes and bangs that seemed to come from all around them. They all spun around, looking for the source of the noises. Behind them, one of the walls slid upwards, revealing a secret chamber with a very large, round hole in the floor. As they stepped in to investigate, a voice greeted them.

"I have waited so long hibernating at the edge of the universe…." Lance with his eyes wide in terror, hurriedly retreated out the door. "…Until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" The voice continued. The Doctor, Rose and Donna looked up to see that that walls of the chamber were lined with the robots all wearing black hoods. The Doctor stepped closer to the hole, and peered over the edge.

"Someone's been digging… Oh, very Torchwood." He said. "Drilled by laser. 

"How far down does it go?" Rose asked, also peering over the side.

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!" The phantom voice replied.

"Really?" The Doctor asked. "Seriously? What for?" Here Donna shuffled forward to also look over.

"Dinosaurs." She said. The Doctor looked over at her.

"What?"

"Dinosaurs?" Donna repeated. It was a question now.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked, confused.

"That film. Under the Earth, with dinosaurs." Donna explained. Seeing the Doctor's skeptical look, she defended herself "Trying to help!"

"That's not helping." The Doctor told her.

"Being rude again?" Rose asked him.

"Was that rude?" The Doctor turned to her. Rose opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the bodiless voice.

"Such a sweet couple."

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" The Doctor demanded to know.

"High in the sky, floating so high on Christmas night." The voice replied.

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom!" The Doctor called back. "Come on, let's have a look at you!"

"Who are you with such command?" Came the answer.

"I'm The Doctor."

"Then prepare your best medicines, doctor-man for you will be sick at heart." The voice said, then there was a flash out light. Standing there in front of the trio was a giant, red spider. Rose and Donna shrunk back a bit, but the Doctor was too shocked to move.

"The Racnoss…" He whispered. "But that's impossible! You're one of the Racnoss!'

"Empress of the Racnoss" the spider said.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" The Doctor demanded to know. "Or…. Are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind." The Empress said, hissing and clicking her pincers together.

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times." The Doctor said, turning to explain to Rose and Donna. "Billions of years ago, _billions_. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" The Empress said.

"They eat people?" Rose asked quietly.

"HC Clements." The Doctor said to Donna. "Did he wear those… those, erm, black and white shoes?"

"He did!" Donna said. "We used to laugh; we used to call him the fat cat in spats." The Doctor nodded sadly, then pointed to the ceiling. There a pair of black and white shoes could be seen attached to what was left of the unfortunate late HC Clements. "Oh my God!" Donna exclaimed, covering her mouth. Rose slipped her hand into The Doctor's which he squeezed reassuringly.

"Mmmm…" The Empress said, cackling. "My Christmas dinner."

"You shouldn't even exist!" The Doctor protested. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out!" Just then, Lance appeared on the balcony above the Racnoss. Thankfully she didn't notice. However, Donna did and Lance motioned for her to stay silent.

"Except for me." The Empress told the Doctor. In an effort to distract the Racnoss from noticing Lance, Donna spoke up.

"But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me lady, I'm talking!" She yelled when the Racnoss started to turn away. "Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" Meanwhile, Lance continued descending the stairs, an axe now in his hand. "Look at me, you!" Donna continued. "Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty." The Racnoss hissed.

"Yes, I am!" Donna replied. "And I don't know what you are, you big…thing. But a spider's a spider and an axe is an axe! Now do it!" She screamed at Lance. Lance swung the axe up above his head, ready to strike. The Empress swung around and hissed, finally seeing Lance, poised to strike. But then… he stopped. Lance glanced at Donna then… started to laugh, the Empress joining in.

"That was a good one!" Lance said to the Empress. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny." The Empress hissed in agreement.

"What?" Donna exclaimed, clearly confused.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor said softly and Rose put her arm comfortingly on Donna's shoulder.

"Sorry for what?" Donna asked, shrugging of Rose's hand, still not getting it. "Lance, don't be so stupid!" She called. "Get her!"

"God she's thick." Lance said, almost pityingly, staring at Donna. Donna looked right back at him, still bewildered. "Months I had to put up with her." Lance said. "Months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand." Donna said uncomprehending.

"How did you meet him?" The Doctor asked her gently.

"In the office." Donna told him.

"He made you coffee." Rose said gently.

"What?" Donna was not getting the connection.

"Every day I made you coffee." Lance said slowly, as if addressing an idiot.

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months." The Doctor explained.

"He was poisoning me?" Donna asked softly, realization finally dawning.

"It was all there in the job title – Head of Human Resources." Rose said with a slight ironic smile.

"This time it's personnel." Lance said, then he and the Racnoss laughed.

"But…we were getting married!" Donna protested.

"Well I couldn't risk you running off." Lance said. "I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor of Pringle! Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that 'Yap, yap, yap…' Oh Brad and Angelina…Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia." Donna stood there listening to this torrent of abuse, with an expression of increasing hurt and confusion. "I deserve a medal." Lance finally finished.

"Oh is that what she's offered you?" The Doctor broke in. "The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her." Lance said coldly.

"But I love you." Donna said brokenly."

"That's what made it so easy." Lance said hardly.

_Like it? Hate it? Please let me know!_


	13. Chapter 13

_Two chapters within six months? Wow, I'm on a roll! :D Oh, and I don't own Doctor Who. Darn. _

* * *

"That's what made it so easy." Lance said hardly. "It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the Human Race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The change to... Go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician? The Empress hissed.

"What she said… Martian." Lance told her.

"Oh, I'm sort of…harmless." The Doctor said. "But the point is, what's down here?" He asked, indicating the hole. "The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk." Lance sneered.

"I think so too." Hissed the Empress.

"Well, tough!" Lance pronounced. "All we need is Donna!"

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man!" the Empress ordered the robots along the walls.

"Don't you hurt him!" Rose cried, stepping in front of the Doctor.

"No, no, it's alright." The Doctor said, trying to draw Rose back.

"No, I won't let them!" Rose persisted.

"At arms!" The Empress ordered and the robots pointed their guns at the Doctor.

"Ah. Now. Except." The Doctor said, holding up his hands.

"Take aim!" The Empress ignored him.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious.." The Doctor persisted, but the Empress talked right over him.

"They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."

"Just…just…just hold on, just a tick. Just a tiny little tick." The Doctor babbled, holding up his hands again. Rose was still trying to pull him back. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it… the spaceship comes to her." Here, The Doctor once again pulled out the tube of Huon particles and turned the knob on the top of the test tube, making the particles inside the tube, Donna and Rose to glow.

"Fire!" The Empress ordered as the familiar sound of the TARDIS began to sound. The robots fired, but just a moment too late. Their shots hit the outside of the TARDIS which had materialized around the trio. Inside, The Doctor darted to the console.

"Off we go!" He said, with his maniac grin on his face. Rose laughed at him, then ran to join him at the controls, holding on as the TARDIS shook. But as the TARDIS dematerialized, outside the Empress was incensed.

"My key!" she hissed angrily. "My key!"

"Oh, you know what I said before about time machines?" The Doctor asked Donna as she too joined them at the controls. "Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet ore, it must have been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant!" He exclaimed. "Molto buene! I've always wanted to see this. Rose, we're going further back than I've ever been before!"

"Sure beats the destruction of the Earth for a first trip!" Rose teased The Doctor.

"I said I was sorry about that! Ok, so maybe it wasn't the smartest idea…"

"You can say that again." Rose stuck her tongue out at him. "What do you think Donna? Wouldn't you prefer the creation of the world rather than its destruction?" Rose glanced over at Donna and noticed that her shoulders were shuddering with the silent tears pouring down her cheeks. Rose walked over and put her arm around her shoulders as she cried.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She whispered.

* * *

Back in the Torchwood base, The Racnoss was still furious. "If the key is lost then another must be cut." She hissed. "At arms!" At her words, all the robots in the room turned their guns onto Lance, who flinched back.

* * *

The TARDIS dematerialized at its destination, and The Doctor peered around the console at Donna who was sitting miserably with Rose on one of the chairs.

"We've arrived…want to see?" He asked.

"Come on Donna." Rose said, standing and holding her hands out to Donna. "When else are you going to get to see the creation of the Earth?"

"I s'pose." Donna said unenthusiastically. The Doctor swung the monitor to face them.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small." He said. "Maybe your way's best." He walked over to the door, followed by Rose. When he realized Donna was following, he turned. "Come on." Donna sighed resignedly then walked over to join them.

"No human's ever seen this. You two'll be the first." He told Rose and Donna.

"All I want to see is my bed."

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler…Welcome to the creation of Earth." The Doctor said magnificently, then threw open the doors to a beautiful sight. The sun was shining through a majestic colored cloud of dust and gas with enormous rocks floating around. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years." The Doctor told them. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. There's the sun over there." He pointed. "Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Long time till it'll expand then, yeah?" Rose said under her breath, barely able to breathe because of the beauty of what she was seeing. The Doctor laughed.

"Yeah. A long time till then."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.

"All around us…in the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective." Donna said. "Lance was right. We're just … tiny."

"No," The Doctor corrected her. "But that's what you do. The Human Race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all of this?" Donna asked, still staring at the breath taking sight.

"Isn't that brilliant?" The Doctor grinned.

"Fantastic…" Rose agreed.

"I think that's the Isle of Wright." Donna said, pointing at a rock that was floating lazily by the TARDIS. They all laughed at that.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold." The Doctor explained. Say, one big rock, heavier than all the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything piling up until you get the…"

"Earth." Rose finished for him.

"But the question is…" the Doctor said. "What was that first rock?" Just then a star shaped rock emerged through the clouds.

"Look." Donna said, pointing at it.

"The Racnoss…" the Doctor whispered.

_Review? Pretty please? _


	14. Chapter 14

_I am going to finish this story! I super sonic-screwdriver swear! _

Back in the Torchwood Base, the Empress was cooking up a plan B.

"Now that I have measured the bride's catalysis, I can force feed it." She declared. One of the robots began to force Lance to drink water that was poisoned with the Huon particles. "Drink the particles." The Empress hissed. "Become the key!"

XXXXXXXXX

The Doctor darted back to the console and started turning a wheel frantically.

"What is it Doctor?" Rose asked.

"The Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?" The Doctor called. Outside, the rocks, dust and gas are all zooming towards the Racnoss ship as though drawn by a magnetic force.

"Exactly what you said." Donna said. The Doctor ran back to the door to look.

"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth… they _became_ the center of the Earth. The first rock." Suddenly, the TARDIS shuddered violently, and they were nearly knocked of their feet.

"What was that?" Rose as she slowly released her death grip on the railing.

"Trouble." The Doctor said, then slammed the doors shut.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"My wonderful key!" The Empress hissed. "Now, my servants. Bind him!" Lance found himself held by two robots as he began to glow."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor, Rose and Donna all struggled to keep their balance as the TARDIS shuddered and rocked violently.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna screamed over the noise.

"Remember that little trick I pulled?" The Doctor called back. "Particles pulling particles. It works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" He was desperately trying to pilot, but it was beyond his control as they whirled through the Vortex.

"Well can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse of warp beam or something?" Donna demanded to know.

"Backseat driver." The Doctor accused her. "Oh! Wait a minute!" He exclaimed and dove beneath the console, coming up with the extrapolator.

"The extrapolator?" Rose asked. "What will that do?"

"It can't stop us." The Doctor said, busy plugging it into the console. "But it should give us a good bump." But it looked like it might be too late. Slowly the TARDIS began to dematerialize back within the chamber.

"The bride shall join her groom. What a wedding there shall be." The Empress said gleefully. But inside the TARDIS, the Doctor whacked the extrapolator.

"Now!" He cried. The TARDIS disappeared from the chamber, then rematerialized outside in the corridor. The Doctor, Rose and Donna emerged, looking around.

"We're about 200 yards to the right." The Doctor said. "Come on!" He grabbed Rose and Donna's hands and off they set, running down the corridor.

"She is close!" The Empress hissed. "The holy bride in white! Find her. Find her!" The Doctor, Rose and Donna had arrived at the doorway leading up to the Thames Flood barrier.

"But what do we do?" Donna panted, out of breath and scared. The Doctor pulled out a stethoscope and had placed it against the door.

"I don't know!" I make it up as I go along! But trust me, I've got a history." The Doctor said with a reassuring smile.

"He does it brilliantly." Rose said, grinning.

"But I still don't understand/ I'm full of particles. But what for?" Donna asked.

There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth, but my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck." But while The Doctor was talking, two robots came up behind Rose and Donna and grabbed them from behind, covering their mouths so they couldn't scream and dragged them away. The Doctor, who hadn't noticed, continued rambling. "They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles. Living particles! They need you to open it. And you have never been so quiet…" The Doctor finally looked behind him and noticed that they were gone. He whipped his head around, looking up and down the empty corridor.

"Rose? Donna?" But there was no answer. He opened the door with his sonic screwdriver, only to confronted by an armed robot. Back in the chamber, Donna had joined Lance tied up in the web on the ceiling. Rose was being guarded by some of the robots on the ledge behind the Racnoss.

"I hate you." Donna told Lance, seething.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." Lance replied.

"My golden couple." The Empress hissed. "Together at last. Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"YES!" Shouted both Donna and Lance.

"You're supposed to say, 'I do.'" The Empress laughed.

"Ha. No chance." Lane said.

"Say it!" The Empress ordered.

Lance hesitated, then looked at Donna. "I do." He finally said.

"I do." Donna echoed him.

"I don't!" The Empress cackled. Activate the particles. Purge every last one!" Donna, Lance and Rose all began to glow again. "And release!" The particles extracted themselves from Donna and Lance and zoomed down the hole in the ground. However, Rose still continued to glow. "What is this?" The Empress demanded to know as she realized that Rose was still glowing. "Why do the particles still remain within you?"

"Inside me is something you can never conquer." Rose said defiantly. "The whole of Time and Space itself." The Empress hissed angrily.

"It is no matter! The secret heart unlocks! And they will waken from their sleep of Ages!"

"Who will?" Donna demanded to know. "What's down there?"

"How thick are you?" Lance asked her, unbelieving that she still wasn't getting it.

"My children." The Empress said. "The long lost Racnoss now will be born to feast on flesh!" The chirping of the spiders and the pattering of their feet could now be heard coming up the hole. "The web-star shall now come to me." Outside, high in the sky, the web-star began to float towards Earth. "My babies will be hungry." The Empress said. "They need sustenance. Perish the web."

"Use her!" Lance cried. "Not me! Use her!"

"No! You can't do this!" Rose pled but the Empress ignored her.

"Oh my funny little Lance. But you are quite impolite to your lady-friend. The Empress does not approve." With her words, the web around Lance loosened and he tumbled down the hole.

"No!" Rose cried.

"Laaaaaaaaane!" Donna screamed.

Outside, the star descended, closer and closer, over the Thames. The confused Londoners pointed up at it in wonder and awe.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat!" The Empress cried. Immediately, what looked like bolts of lightning shot out of the points of the stars, killing all they touched. Instantly there was chaos as the crowd scattered, running for cover and screaming. Back inside the chamber, one of the robots was ascending the stairs. "My children are climbing towards me." The Empress said. "And none shall stop me." She hissed then turned to the climbing robot. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man." The Doctor removed the mask and cloak he was wearing.

"Oh well. Nice try."

"Doctor!" Rose called, sighing with relief.

"In trouble again there Rose?" The Doctor asked cheekily.

"Not as much as you're going to be in if you don't get me down from here!" Donna yelled from the ceiling.

"I've got you Donna!" He called back, aiming his sonic screwdriver and the web around her loosened.

"I'm gonna fall!" She screeched.

"You're gonna swing!" The Doctor reassured her. Sure enough, as the web ripped, she grabbed hold of one of the web strands and swung right over the hole towards the Doctor.

"I've got ya!" The Doctor called, his arms outstretch. Donna screamed and swung right underneath the Doctor and smashed into the wall with a dull bang. The Empress smirked and Rose flinched with an,

"Ouch."

"Oh… Sorry." The Doctor apologized looking down where Donna was sprawled on her back below him.

"Thanks for nothing." Donna said sarcastically.

"The doctor-man amuses me." The Empress hissed, in what sounded like laughter.

"Empress of the Racnoss. I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the Universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now." The Doctor pled with her, and also keeping an eye on where Rose was still being held by the two robots.

"These men are so funny." The Empress laughed.

"What's your answer?" The Doctor asked again.

"Oh…I'm afraid I have to decline." The Empress laughed again.

"You really don't want to do that." Rose said quietly. "Please just end this!"

"There is nothing you or the funny little doctor-man can do to stop me!" The Racnoss hissed menacingly.

_I am so close! Reviews make me update faster! 3_


	15. Chapter 15

_Must…keep going…why I still have motivation! Reviews keep my motivation up! _

* * *

"What happens then is your own doing." The Doctor said quietly.

"I'll show you what happens next." The Empress hissed. "At arms!" she commanded the robots. The robots obediently raised their guns. "Take aim!" They all aimed at the Doctor. "And…."

"Relax." The Doctor said quietly. The robots went limp.

"What did you do?" Donna asked. Meanwhile, Rose took the opportunity to push the two limp robots away from her and sprinted down the stairs, skirting the Empress who hissed at her, but otherwise let her pass. Rose raced to Donna was and helped her up.

"Guess what I've got Donna?" The Doctor asked with a grin as he pulled the remote control from one of his pockets. "Pockets!"

"How did that fit in there?" Donna asked astonished. That remote control was way bigger than the Doctor's pockets.

"They're bigger on the inside." Rose told her with a grin.

"Robo-forms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh." The Empress hissed.

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars." The Doctor told her.

"Then where?"

"My home planet is far away and long since gone." The Doctor told her, with sadness in his voice. "But its name lives on. Gallifrey." The Empress reared up, suddenly full of anger.

"They murder the Racnoss!" She seethed.

"I warned you. You did this." He reached into his pocket and produced a handful of the Christmas Decorations that earlier had crashed Donna's wedding reception.

"No! No! Don't! No!" The Racnoss cried.

"Why not?" The Doctor asked, his face hard and unreadable.

"Please. I beg of you." The Empress hissed. "My poor children."

"Doctor, please." Rose said softly from below him, The Doctor looked down at her and his face softened. He looked back up that the Empress who was still breathing heavily from a mixture of fear and terror.

"Are you willing to take my offer now?" he asked her softly. The Empress hissed, then lowered herself.

"Yes." She hissed softly.

* * *

Rose and Donna sat inside the TARDIS on the captain's chair, alternating between laughing at some of the Doctor and Rose's adventures and Donna crying with Rose over Lance. Finally the Doctor came back inside the TARDIS and leaned against the console across from them.

"All settled." He told them. "Used my vast superior Time Lord intellect to set up a Trans mat and sent them to some deserted planet. They won't be able to cause anybody any more harm." Donna nodded and Rose smiled. "Thank you Rose." He told her, reaching over to grab her hand. "You make me better. Without you… I don't know what I would have done." Rose smiled, and stood up to hug the Doctor. She squeezed him reassuringly.

"I'll always be there for you." She said, her face inches from his, and again he suppressed the urge to kiss her. Clearing his throat, he reluctantly backed away and turned to Donna.

"And what about you?" He asked her.

"Take me home." Donna said wearily.

* * *

The TARDIS materialized across the road from Donna's house. She and the Doctor stepped outside, while Rose remained in the doorway.

"There we go. Told you she'd be alright. She can survive anything." The Doctor patted the TARDIS affectionately.

"More than I've done." Donna said tiredly. The Doctor scanned her with the sonic screwdriver.

"Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage. You're fine." He reassured her.

"Yeah, but apart from that….I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

"I couldn't save him." The Doctor told her sadly.

"He deserved it." Donna said coldly. The Doctor just raised his eyebrows. Donna's face softened. "No, he didn't." She looked round at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried.

"Best Christmas present they could have." Rose said from the TARDIS doorway. Through the window, Sylvia and Geoff could be seen embracing each other.

"Oh, no, I forgot. You hate Christmas."

"Yes, I do."

"Even if it snows?" The Doctor asked impishly, reaching back above Rose to pull a hidden switch. A ball of light shot out of the TARDIS and exploded like a firework in the sky, into softly falling snow. Donna laughed with delight.

"I can't believe you did that!"

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation." The Doctor said casually, grinning at her. Donna smiled back.

"Merry Christmas." Donna said.

"And you. So…what will you do with yourself now?" The Doctor asked.

"Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno…travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just… go out there and do something." Donna said.

"Good for you." Rose said. Donna smiled at her.

"Thanks. To both of you. And Merry Christmas." The Doctor hugged her, the followed Rose back inside the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. The TARDIS shoot up into night sky as Donna watched with a smile, then walked back home.

* * *

"And now that we're safe, I can run that scan on you." The Doctor said, reaching down to take her hand, beginning to lead her towards the medical bay.

"I'm perfectly fine." Rose protested, but the Doctor stopped her with one of his smoldering looks.

"I want to find that out for myself." The Doctor said. "Don't make me carry you." With that, he scooped Rose up into his arms and carried her, kicking and giggling the whole way. When he finally set her down on one of the medical bay beds, she stuck her tongue out at him.

"I told you, this isn't necessary!" I'm fine!" Rose protested as the Doctor rummaged around for various medical equipment. The Doctor emerged from a cabinet,

"Rose." He told her seriously, taking her face in his hands. "I promised Jackie I would take care of you. I would never forgive myself if I didn't keep that promise." Rose's heart melted a little and she sighed.

"All right. If it'll make you happy." She said, resigned to a full scan.

"Good. Now lie back." The Doctor instructed her. Rose sighed again, then did as she was told. The Doctor ran several tests on her, becoming quieter with each result.

"Doctor?" Rose asked quietly. The Doctor walked over and took her hand as she sat up. "What is it." The Doctor rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. Rose bit her lip.

"You're fine." The Doctor finally said. "More than fine."

"What that's mean?" Rose asked. The Doctor hesitated and Rose squeezed his hand. "Tell me." The Doctor turned to face her, taking both of her hands in his.

"There's still residual energy left in you from the Time Vortex." He said. "A little bit of the Bad Wolf. I don't know why it's still there or why I didn't see it before."

"What's that mean?" Rose asked.

"It means you're still bonded with the TARDIS." The Doctor admitted very quietly. "Rose I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"No. Listen." Rose said, squeezing his hands. "This is not your fault. Not one bit. Now tell me. What does being linked to the TARDIS mean?"

"Well, normally it's a Time Lord that bonds with a TARDIS. When a Time Lord gets his TARDIS, the develop a bond that lasts for all time. It allows them to communicate and…binds their life lines." Seeing Rose's confused look, the Doctor continued. "But you. You're human. So human. So the link went the other way. You're still going to be able to sense the TARDIS." Here Rose nodded. She had always had a special link with the TARDIS. "And… your life line is tied to hers. Rose… You're going to live as long as the TARDIS does."

"How long is that?" Rose breathed. The Doctor hesitated again, then finally answered.

"A TARDIS lives as long as it's Time Lord." Realization dawned on Rose.

"That's you…" She breathed. The Doctor nodded.

"Rose, I am sorry. I am so sorry. I didn't know…" But Rose cut him off.

"No. Don't ever be sorry." She said, moving closer to him until their faces were only inches apart. "I wouldn't have it other way. I promised you forever and I meant it." The Doctor could barely concentrate on what she was saying, she was so close.

"Forever." He echoed. Rose nodded, then he leaned in slowly and gave in to the urges he'd been suppressing since he'd met her. He leaned in and kissed her. After a moments shock, Rose kissed him back. Because they were The Doctor and Rose Tyler. In the TARDIS. The stuff of legends. Forever.

* * *

_FINISHED! Again, I'm so sorry this took me so long to finish.. I feel really bad. Forgive me? Please let me know what you thought! I'd forever love you if you do! _


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